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25 May 2017
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During dinner we got a call from some of Assen’s friends who were at their weekend house 30 km south in Lozenets. After a few calls and text messages we finally decided we better go. We all squeezed into a taxi with poor suspension and arrived just before midnight to a party in full swing…
 Bulgaria Party-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Bulgaria Party-3 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Bulgaria Party-4 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Bulgaria Party-5 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Bulgaria Party-6 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Bulgaria Party-7 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Bulgaria Party-9 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Bulgaria Party-8 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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27 May 2017
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 Bulgaria-4 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
Today we lazed about most of the day since we were out so late. We did have a bit of a walk about the old city and the sea wall.
 Bulgaria-6 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Bulgaria-3 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Bulgaria-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Bulgaria Sozopol-13 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Bulgaria Sozopol-15 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Bulgaria Sozopol-16 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Bulgaria Sozopol-20 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Bulgaria Sozopol-17 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Bulgaria Sozopol-18 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Bulgaria Sozopol-21 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
A toe in the chilly Black Sea.
 Bulgaria Sozopol-19 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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27 May 2017
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The gang managed to rouse for food by 430 and we found a really nice place on the water with excellent food. We had muscles and crabs and friend fresh caught (we saw the guy catch them) blue fish.
 Bulgaria-5 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Bulgaria Sozopol by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Bulgaria Sozopol-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Bulgaria Sozopol-3 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Bulgaria Sozopol-4 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Bulgaria Sozopol-5 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
It started to pour so we headed inside for coffee and dessert.
 Bulgaria Sozopol-7 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Bulgaria Sozopol-8 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Bulgaria Sozopol-9 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
It let up to a drizzle for the hike home and we did not get too wet. We are still in a holding pattern as we are waiting to go to Turkey when we know we have out LOI for Turkmenistan as we will pick up these visas in Ankara.
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27 May 2017
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So its a sleep in and back to our favourite place for amazing salads for lunch. We tried to find a spot with the International hockey play off, but the one that said it had the channel did not. No worries we had some rakia and listened to it in Swedish on Orvar's phone. It was too late for us and we are glad we went to bed to miss Canada’s loss to Sweden in a shoot out.
 Bulgaria Sozopol-12 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Bulgaria Sozopol-10 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Bulgaria Sozopol-11 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
Trevor needs to get Euros and wants to see about getting a different shock for his bike. He did some adjustments today, but will ride to either Greece or Sofia tomorrow and Orvar will go with us.
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27 May 2017
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Today we had a few set back to our quick trip to Istanbul.
 Screen Shot 2017-05-24 at 19.45.07 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Screen Shot 2017-05-24 at 19.39.55 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
Great people at the hotel helped us with everything we needed including telling the garage guy he could not charge us double for an extra night.
 Bulgaria by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
We did set out a bit late at 930 and when we were 5 km away Sara realized she could not remember picking the envelope with the Turkish Lira and USD for the insurance at the border. AGH…Dan rode back but did not find it at the hotel….that is because she had put it in a safe place and then promptly forgot where…in the luggage all along. No harm done other than to worry our hosts at the hotel. Luckily we could message Trevor who was still at the hotel to put them at ease.
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27 May 2017
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29 May 2017
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Then we rode up past the blown up cars to the first booth for Turkey and were waved thru.
 Turkey Istanbul-12 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
Next you get an entry stamp and they wanted to see our e visas, passports, green cards, and bike registration.
 Turkey Istanbul-14 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
They then told us we needed to buy insurance, which we already knew as our green card does not work here. We walked over to the insurance office and he took down all Orvar’s information and said he wanted 135 Euros for each of us. This is a scam as the rate as of a month ago was 30. He refused to budge. We refused to be scammed, but this meant getting out of Turkey and back into Bulgaria and then a 360 km detour to the main crossing.
So back to customs at 2 different windows and then and exit passport stamp. The customs guys handed back the passports and said “Im sorry” even he knew it was a scam, but could do nothing. We then drove back to the Bulgarian border, passed thru decontamination, which appears to be free for bikes but you must give your plate number, and did then did all the previous steps in reverse.
 Turkey Istanbul-15 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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29 May 2017
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29 May 2017
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We road past all of them and there were only about 5 cars in front of us at Bulgarian passport control. We got our exit stamp and review by customs. Funny they did not even comment on the fact that we had done this earlier today.
 Turkey Istanbul-22 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
From here you ride to the Turkish crossing where there seems to be about 20 lines, but only one was open. Luckily there was only 5 cars ahead of us again. We got another entry stamp and they wanted to see the bike papers, e visa, and green cards. We moved to the next window and they told to go to “D3”, which is an area about 500 m away and clearly makes with a Huge D3 sign. This was where we got our insurance. They were very friendly, but spoke little English. The guy entered our bike models into the computer and lo and behold the rate of ….29 Euros for the month. After you get your insurance paper you go to the next window for a passport stamp. There was a bit of an issue with our ICBC documents since in BC the insurance and title of registration are on one paper. Also unlike Europe this is very unofficial looking document. There was much discussion amongst all the agents, but finally they gave us our stamp. From here you return to the border and have “baggage inspection”. This consisted of the guy asking us to open everything, we open only the panniers. He did not even look and then said “thats ok”. Then he wanted to know if were going to Georgia and said that we had to go to Iran as it was so amazing”.
 Turkey Istanbul-24 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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29 May 2017
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We left the border this time at 630 pm and we had 250 km to go.
 Turkey Istanbul-25 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Turkey-4 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Turkey Istanbul-26 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
We arrived to the main highway, which is a toll road, but they use auto tolling here and there are no gates or pay stations. They do not have Vignettes either. After the first “toll” crossing we stopped to ask the police how we could pay and they said just drive thru with the bikes. Technically all vehicles must pay even bikes, but the plate cameras are forward only. This meant we could do the 120 limit on the E 80 instead of the smaller D100. We had a 10 min break about 830 to lube the chains, but pressed on to minimize the riding in the dark. We had about 30 min of that, which at speed with traffic in the last 30 km was a bit hairy. The locals drive fast, veer over many lanes, and merge at very high speed onto the road and often across multiple lanes. They will cut between you from the left to take the right exit. Scary. The hotel we had chosen was located on the tram and metro lines, but also very close to the exit from the highway. We finally arrived at 915 pm. About 3 minutes later Orvar walked up with a bag with cold  s. We walked up the road from some traditional Turkish food. We were so tired we did not even wake up when the 430 call to prayer.
Meanwhile ‘The Swede” had made a call to Sweden at 1 pm to add Turkey to his green card for free. He learned this from 2 German guys we met at the first crossing. Then he left us at Burgas and went back to Sozopol to the hotel where he found a shop with green paper and they printed off his “ Green” card. He then did not want to chance the closest border again with the scam insurance guy so he took the lower crossroad to the middle border crossing. Here he had every piece of luggage searched including his tent bag. The drivers behind him kept yelling at the guards to stop checking a biker for contraband! His spent more time getting his stuff, but had a much shorter distance to travel and actually arrived to Istanbul 20 minutes before us. He had gone for s at the store as he had checked our Spot and saw we were nearly there!!
Meanwhile Trevor had stayed at the hotel in Sozopol until 11. He then headed out on the road to Burgas and then to the highway. His plan was to go to Plovdiv and see if Assen had been able to contact the shock guys about how long it might take to get a new spring. It would be 4-5 days and so instead of going back to Sofia he headed to Greece. He needed to withdraw Euros for 2 days to stock up for the trip east. He was also checking our spot and was shocked to see we were actually an hour behind him.
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29 May 2017
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We only had one day here and there is a lot to see. We bought an Istanbulkart, which you can load up and use for multiple people. In the end we spent 4 dollars each all day. We caught the tram down to the old city and visited the Blue Mosque. Here you must enter thru the visitor gate and be properly dressed. I was let in wearing pants as they are loose and my head scarf. Girls in jeans or tight clothes had to borrow skirts or dresses with attached scarfs.
“The cascading domes and six slender minarets of the Sultanahmet Mosque (better known as the "Blue Mosque") dominate the skyline of Istanbul. In the 17th century, Sultan Ahmet I wished to build an Islamic place of worship that would be even better than the Hagia Sophia, and the mosque named for him is the result. The two great architectural achievements now stand next to each other in Istanbul's main square
The Blue Mosque was commissioned by Sultan Ahmet I when he was only 19 years old. It was built near the Hagia Sophia, over the site of the ancient hippodrome and Byzantine imperial palace. Construction work began in 1609 and took seven years.
Inside, the high ceiling is lined with the 20,000 blue tiles that give the mosque its popular name. Fine examples of 16th-century Iznik design, the oldest tiles feature flowers, trees and abstract patterns. The overall effect is one of the most beautiful sights in Istanbul.”
 Turkey-11 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Turkey-5 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Turkey-45 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Turkey-46 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Turkey-10 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Turkey-44 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Turkey-9 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Turkey-6 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Turkey-7 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Turkey-8 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Turkey-13 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Turkey-36 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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29 May 2017
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Check the RAW segments; Grant, your HU host is on every month!
Episodes below to listen to while you, err, pretend to do something or other...
2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.
"Ultimate global guide for red-blooded bikers planning overseas exploration. Covers choice & preparation of best bike, shipping overseas, baggage design, riding techniques, travel health, visas, documentation, safety and useful addresses." Recommended. (Grant)
Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance™ combines into a single integrated program the best evacuation and rescue with the premier travel insurance coverages designed for adventurers.
Led by special operations veterans, Stanford Medicine affiliated physicians, paramedics and other travel experts, Ripcord is perfect for adventure seekers, climbers, skiers, sports enthusiasts, hunters, international travelers, humanitarian efforts, expeditions and more.
Ripcord travel protection is now available for ALL nationalities, and travel is covered on motorcycles of all sizes!
What others say about HU...
"This site is the BIBLE for international bike travelers." Greg, Australia
"Thank you! The web site, The travels, The insight, The inspiration, Everything, just thanks." Colin, UK
"My friend and I are planning a trip from Singapore to England... We found (the HU) site invaluable as an aid to planning and have based a lot of our purchases (bikes, riding gear, etc.) on what we have learned from this site." Phil, Australia
"I for one always had an adventurous spirit, but you and Susan lit the fire for my trip and I'll be forever grateful for what you two do to inspire others to just do it." Brent, USA
"Your website is a mecca of valuable information and the (video) series is informative, entertaining, and inspiring!" Jennifer, Canada
"Your worldwide organisation and events are the Go To places to for all serious touring and aspiring touring bikers." Trevor, South Africa
"This is the answer to all my questions." Haydn, Australia
"Keep going the excellent work you are doing for Horizons Unlimited - I love it!" Thomas, Germany
Lots more comments here!
Diaries of a compulsive traveller
by Graham Field
Book, eBook, Audiobook
"A compelling, honest, inspiring and entertaining writing style with a built-in feel-good factor" Get them NOW from the authors' website and Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk.
Back Road Map Books and Backroad GPS Maps for all of Canada - a must have!
New to Horizons Unlimited?
New to motorcycle travelling? New to the HU site? Confused? Too many options? It's really very simple - just 4 easy steps!
Horizons Unlimited was founded in 1997 by Grant and Susan Johnson following their journey around the world on a BMW R80G/S.
Read more about Grant & Susan's story
Membership - help keep us going!
Horizons Unlimited is not a big multi-national company, just two people who love motorcycle travel and have grown what started as a hobby in 1997 into a full time job (usually 8-10 hours per day and 7 days a week) and a labour of love. To keep it going and a roof over our heads, we run events all over the world with the help of volunteers; we sell inspirational and informative DVDs; we have a few selected advertisers; and we make a small amount from memberships.
You don't have to be a Member to come to an HU meeting, access the website, or ask questions on the HUBB. What you get for your membership contribution is our sincere gratitude, good karma and knowing that you're helping to keep the motorcycle travel dream alive. Contributing Members and Gold Members do get additional features on the HUBB. Here's a list of all the Member benefits on the HUBB.
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helps answer the question - Why Go? Inspirational stories by veteran travellers Greg Frazier (5 times RTW), Peter and Kay Forwood (193 countries), Tiffany Coates (Mongolia Mayhem) and Rene Cormier (University of Gravel Roads).
Get Ready! covers planning, paperwork, medical and many other topics! "Inspirational and Awesome!" See the trailer here!
What stuff do I need - riding gear, clothing, camping gear, first aid kit, tires, maps and GPS? What don't I need? How do I pack it all in? Lots of opinions from over 150 travellers!
break down language barriers, overcome culture shock, ship the bike and deal with breakdowns and emergencies."Just makes me want to pack up and go!" See the trailer here!
Grant demystifies the black art of Tire Changing and Repair to help you STAY on the road! "Very informative and practical." See the trailer here!
Ladies on the Loose! For the first time ever, a motorcycle travel DVD made for women, by women! These intrepid women share their tips to help you plan your own motorcycle adventure. They also answer the women-only questions, and entertain you with amazing tales from the road! Presented by Lois Pryce, veteran solo traveller through South America and Africa and author of 'Lois on the Loose', and 'Red Tape and White Knuckles.'
Cotton or synth sweat-wicking t-shirts with the cool Horizons Unlimited graphic on the front and a snappy slogan (changing every year) on the back.
Show your route on your panniers. Great conversation starter when you meet people on the road!
Motorcycle and travel books to inspire and inform you!
The definitive guide to planning your motorcycle adventure! This insanely ambitious 2-year project has produced an informative and entertaining 5-part, 18 hour video series. "The ultimate round the world rider's how-to!" MCN UK.
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